Locations
Elysium Breathtaking white towers and delicate buildings made of steel and glass rise out of the cityscape. Everything here is'' pristine'', straight out of a fairy tale, with its almost surreal perfection. Aesthetics and appearance means everything. After all, this is the level where the crème de la crème of the society can be found. The individuals who live here are immensely powerful -- their high status and wealth don't hurt, either. Do not be taken in by all the beauty, though. The people here are as ruthless and as cold-hearted as they come, crushing the weak and helpless beneath their heels. *'Alpha Omega Research Facility:' At the Southern Edge of Elysium, towering walls topped with barbed wire surround an established perimeter. The buildings and complexes within are hidden behind trees, only their tops visible, and even that, just barely. But that's not all. Inside, a metal fence laced with high voltage current serves as an added precaution, and the security that patrols the area is always on high alert for intruders at all times. There are rumors that these safety measures not only keep people out, but also to keep them in. Here is where all the R&D and the experiments for all fields of studies take place. Only scientists, doctors and authorized personnel and their test subjects are allowed in. Maybe this is where some of the patients over at the asylum in Terra end up in? Or is that just another urban legend? *'University:' As the only institution of higher education in the entire city, the University of XXXX is just another way that the wealthy flaunt their success before those who are less fortunate. The soaring tuition fees quickly ward off many from the Terra -- only those with the brightest minds and the best academic records are offered scholarships, and even those are limited to a handful. Given the university's motto of Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - “I will find a way, or I will make one,” one should expect no less. The university itself is an echo of the glorious Renaissance days, its entrance to the main reception building flanked by two lions carved of black marble. The campus is located at the far West, away from the busy streets of Elysium. Most students are chauffeured to and fro, while those less fortunate take a monorail from the city. *'Palais d’Or:' Grandiose, opulent, there is no other building in the city that better represents the decadence of Elysium than the Palais d'Or. Just across the Aeternitas, its gleaming white marble exterior and delicate spires are a sight to behold. But don't be so easily impressed, as a step through the doorway will reveal an even more breathtaking sight -- crystal chandeliers and oil paintings by renowned artists lining the hallways, gold leafing applied to pillars and wall décors, even tue ceilings painstakingly covered in hand-painted murals. Boasting a total of five lavish halls, all plays, ballets and orchestras are performed in this building. This is the place to be if you want to rub shoulders with the society’s crème de la crème and be seen. *''' Cathedral:' A magnificent affair just north of the Elysium center, the Cathedral serves as a refuge for those who look towards God for salvation. Built in imitation of classic, Gothic churches, a step through the carved-iron doors will leave you staring at the high, vaulted ceiling, the steel candleholders, the massive stained-glass windows. Both beautiful and terrifying, most will feel powerless and small, standing before the marble altar. The rows and rows of wooden pews leave plenty of space for those who wish to sit and pray. *'Government Building ' The seat of power is a structure that rises gracefully from the center of the metropolis, towering over the surrounding buildings. Made entirely of glass, steel and concrete, this building is where the administration of the city takes place, where all governmental decisions are made. This, the Aeternitas, is where all the respective Heads of Departments - Defense, Finance, Health, Education, Commerce and others - can be found. Looking down from his office on the topmost floor, the dictator governs the city and all of its individuals. He knows everything, he hears everything, he sees everything. Nothing escapes him and he is, perhaps, the only individual in the entire city who knows the truth behind the city. *'Court:' Like everything else in the Elysium, the Court is a sight to see -- a structure built entirely of white marble, with its domed roof and numerous pillars bringing the ancient institutions of civilization to mind. Spacious and grand, the Court is home to several halls, where the most heinous of criminals are sentenced to their punishment before the judge. Of course, one must keep in mind, though, that these punishments may not exactly be fair -- rich men have been known to get off with miraculously lenient sentences are pressing a handful of bills into the jury's hands the night before. Still, if there is any hope of justice being served, then the Court may be one of your better bets. *'Condominium:' The living spaces of the filthy rich. The condominiums are fancy affairs -- buildings glittered with steel and glass, lit with blinding white and surrounded by carefully-cultivated plots of grass and trees. Outdoor and indoor pools, gyms, restaurants, malls -- a tiny city surrounds this cluster of buildings, where only the wealthiest may afford a suite. Though the prices are certainly worth it -- fully automated, spacious, and beautiful, these condominiums are gorgeous -- fit for the pampered populance of the Elysium. *'Blood Moon:' Sitting square in the center of the Elysium's clean, crisp glory, is the commercial area, where large corporations and businesses have located their headquarters -- and the midst of this hustle and bustle, tucked out of sight of the public eye is a building with the strictest of security measures, and the most heavily guarded entrance -- a sharp contrast to its glitzy appearance, all blue neon lights and glamorous decor. A first glance may give the impression that it's just a typical VIP club where the rich squander their money, but it's a little more than that. Step through the doorway, and the scent of incense and opium is everywhere, infused with strains of music -- the latest pop, the darkest synth wave -- whatever the wealthy customers request, filling all three floors of the club. The main floor is reserved for anyone who is rich enough to buy the right to enter, while the basement is a lounge for the most important of customers, and the top floor serves as a restaurant, serving exquisite cuisine that can easily put a 5-star restaurant to shame. But below these three floors lies a secret: the current headquarters of the Akatsuki, a Yakuza-esque organization that has absolutely no qualms about silencing those who would dare to reveal the location of their headquarters. *'Asclepius Hospital:' There are only two price ranges here – pricey and pricier. Boasting the best doctors in the city and equipped with the best equipment that money can buy, the hospital assures all its patients that they are in safe hands -- as long as they can afford it. The medical bills may very well cost you a limb or two. The hospital has a grand total of thirty floors, with the top ten floors catering exclusively to the wealthiest portion of the population. These rooms are closer in appearance to suites in a five-star hotel than typical hospital rooms, and no corners are cut in making the pampered patients feel perfectly at home. These signs of opulence extend even to the reception area -- though the rooms for the peon -— whoops, normal citizens are closer to the generic rooms you would find in a normal hospital, albeit more spacious. *'Junes:' A chain of department stores that generally is a jack-of-all-trades. It generally has everything that a person could want or need. In its own way, it is like it's own mall more than a store with its own a electronics department (specializing in televisions, DVDs, etc.), housewares, clothing, grocery, and even a specialized food court with meals and drinks only available at Junes. The prices range is well within anyone's pocketbook with a few exceptions (such as, the HD televisions available at the stores). This is why it is generally disliked by smaller businesses because it is literally a one-stop-shopping area. And a few of those shops actually have been known to shut down if they are around Junes. There is mixed reception for the Junes franchise within the general public. Most people are happy that one is on their level for the sheer convenience that the store offers, but snip about how it is killing other businesses and generally bringing everyone's morale down purely by being allowed to continue to thrive as it does. Terra Busy streets, speeding vehicles, and a sea of people rushing madly from one place to another, it all screams normal, normal, normal. Terra is the balanece between two extremes. Respectable people with respectable jobs live here, going about their daily lives and minding their own business. The wealthy will sometimes grace this level with their presence, if only to flaunt their glitz and glamor amongst the commoners. And it's all hush hush, and decent people do not speak of it, but if you look carefully, traces of Abyss’s stain can be seen in the alleys. * '''Terror asylum:' We all know that some people are not...quite sane and here is where they are sent. Sterile white walls and bolted down furniture, doctors and nurses with fixed smiles and a kind reassuring voices telling you that they'll take good care of you. It's easy to think of this place as just another place for those with cracked psyches, where they might ''get better with time -- but what if, what if the doctors were to slip their patients some LSD behind the scenes? Perhaps shock treatment is not the right way to treat these psychopaths? Either way, even if these 'patients' will never recover, there are very few people who would care to ask for details when told that these people will be sent to research labs for treatment, and they'll be ''just fine -- just please ignore all the frantic scribbles on the walls. *'Sextasy nightclub:' Flash an inviting smile, cozy up to a stranger, raise the temperature on the dance floor. D-D-''D''ance like there's no tomorrow and party until the world ends. This is the one place in the entire city where all three levels join and mingle as one. Amidst the flashing neon lights and the jam-packed dance floor, people from the Abyss can be seen slipping in and out the crowd of revelers, making a quick buck by selling drugs at skyhigh prices to those who are happy to hand over cash for their fixes. Mind you, entry to the club is not cheap, but there is always a line up until the next block with people wanting to gain access into Terra’s most popular nightclub -- and if you manage to get in, it's definitely worth it. The drowning chaos and the blinding flamboyancy will drag you right in, but the fun will only last until the next day when you wake up with a killer hangover. *'Café:' Need some extra pocket money? Need a job?'' Excellent!'' This café is always looking for extra help. The pay isn't all that great, just enough to live off of, but the tips make it worth the hard work. sometimes. If you don't mind chasing off the bums from Abyss begging from the doorsteps, or getting put down by the snobs of Elysium, then this would be the perfect place to work at. The café’s classy, cozy ambience, combined with its constant flow of cybar jazz music make it a great place to chill. Popular with both teenagers and adults, the café is always buzzing with people. It's a hip place to be seen and just the place to catch up with friends and chat over a cup of java. *'Clinic:' Not enough money to check yourself in to the hospital? Just need a simple operating procedure? Is it for inoculation shots or only checkup? Or is it just some medication that you need? If trouble has the tendency to follow you around or you are always tripping over your own feet, then the clinic would be your best bet. Reasonably priced, located in an easily accessible location, and staffed by surprisingly good doctors, it's a much better place than many expect at first. And though the doctors may not be as skilled as those in the Elysium, they certainly aren't less than satisfactory at their jobs. Most of the talented doctors and nurses that start out in the clinic end up scouted and hired by the hospital in Elysium after some time, but before then, they serve as the saviors to the sick and injured in Terra. *'High school:' Just as it is for any society, education plays a pivotal role in raising the next generation, to prepare those who will inherit the city. And so, it's unfortunate that, the majority of those who graduate from school will never be able to secure a place in the Elysium University without a scholarship or connections. Attending school from grade one to twelve is compulsory, but for what reason? What exactly is the point of this education if it holds no promise of success in the future? It's rather appalling that the people in the upper level rarely care for the students of Terra, except for those who show exceptional mental prowess -- but such is the life in Neo Genesis. Who knows. If you work hard enough, then maybe, maybe you'll catch the eye of some generous investor from the Elysium -- but don't get your hopes up. *'Library: ' The library is located near the center of Terra, and for those who enjoy reading, serves as the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city -- feel free to walk in, pick up a book, sit back and relax. A sizable building (funded by some generous soul in Elysium), there are several floors of books open for anyone to pick through -- not only for leisure reading, but also for those who may want to research. If the considerable selection of textbooks and journals isn't enough, the electronic archives may be your best bet to access older titles or newspaper clippings. Unfortunately, though, rarer items are not available to the public, and can only be accessed through the University, which is off-limits except to those lucky few chosen to enroll. *'Prison:' What's a city without its prison? Although it's unclear whether the prison serves merely to lull its citizens into a false sense of security, or to stand as a reminder that, even in a city such as Neo Genesis, justice still persists, the prison is still a forbidding structure looming near the edge of the Terra. For every crime is a punishment -- though whether these punishments are carried out fairly are not is questionable. Despite those in the law enforcement business who attempt to maintain some form of true justice, the fact is -- they're sadly outnumbered. Those of higher class, those with larger wallets tend to have lighter sentences, while those unfortunate enough to be dealt a full sentence are treated cruelly in the prisons by guards who would not hesitated to wield violence for the sake of their own amusement. *'Apartments:' Space, in the Terra, isn't a commodity, but a'' luxury''. The ever-growing demand for commercial land has fueled a sudden rise in the number of apartments. Many of these apartments are simple, one-room or studio apartments, small and crampled, especially uncomfortable if inhabited by more than one person. Often plagued by shine of the city's neon lights, and rattled the clamour of trains and traffic at all hours, these living spaces are very much an embodiment of the city itself. Some love them, some hate them, but for many, they're the only available option in terms of housing -- and they're not all bad, with affordable rent and decent views of the cityscape at night. *'Cyber café/Arcade:' Though nothing more than your typical cyber cafe at first glance, this place can serve as a veritable paradise to hackers and tech-savvy people. The equipment is of much higher class than in most other places in the Terra, and you'd be surprised at what a skilled cracker can achieve from here. Control the electricity in the city for a day, set off a few fire hydrants, or just let the street lights flicker like mad. Anything and everything is possible with the right jobs at the network. After all, the Terra is almost fully automated, and with enough effort, you may even be able to dig deeper into the secrets of the city. But be sure to erase your tracks, as the consequences for delving into such dangerous territory can be very, very dire. *'Colleges:' The Elysium's University may be off-limits to many, but what city would operate without some pretense of higher education? Several community-college style institutes dot the Terra, where those who have done well at high school may take a shot at becoming something more. Of course, the staff, the equipment, the funding are all pathetic compared to the Elysium's University, but it's enough. The top graduates of these colleges often serve as the professionals of the level -- lawyers and doctors and teachers -- while others end up shuffling papers for companies and corporations. While not exactly what everyone looks for, it serves as a beacon of hope for those looking to be something more than a manual laborer. *'Capsule Hotel:' Acting as a medium class hotel that lies in Chinatown (luckily, on friendly ground), the capsule hotel boasts affordable stay for the curious, the adventurous and the cheapskate. The rooms here all have one feature in common; they’re all like capsules where a person only has room to lie down on their stomach or back or side or scoot around on their elbows. Capsules are stacked on top of one another just like bunk beds. Basic additions (entertainment, air conditioning, storage space for luggage etc) for capsules come at extra charges. Permanent or temporary stay is available and the hotel states that it is not responsible for any development of claustrophobia. *Chinatown *'Junes:' A chain of department stores that generally is a jack-of-all-trades. It generally has everything that a person could want or need. In its own way, it is like it's own mall more than a store with its own a electronics department (specializing in televisions, DVDs, etc.), housewares, clothing, grocery, and even a specialized food court with meals and drinks only available at Junes. The prices range is well within anyone's pocketbook with a few exceptions (such as, the HD televisions available at the stores). This is why it is generally disliked by smaller businesses because it is literally a one-stop-shopping area. And a few of those shops actually have been known to shut down if they are around Junes. There is mixed reception for the Junes franchise within the general public. Most people are happy that one is on their level for the sheer convenience that the store offers, but snip about how it is killing other businesses and generally bringing everyone's morale down purely by being allowed to continue to thrive as it does. *'The Unicorn Tea Room: ' A small cosy place, it radiates a traditional English atmosphere. Small tables covered in cloths, doilies to rest your cups and saucers on while the walls are decorated with paintings depicting traditional fairy stories and pirate legends. Odd knick knacks cover every surface aside from the tables themselves, small treasure chests, cutlasses and fencing swords, tiny ornaments. Its a curious shop that always warrants a second look. As for its merchandise, a range of high class teas from Darjeeling and Earl Grey to Japanese and Chinese Green teas. The proprieter offers packets on sale to take home, or simply order a pot of tea to be served to you alongside scones and bicuits. Its perfect for those who want a quiet place to relax or do some work in while enjoying a nice hot drink. Owner: Arthur Kirkland. *'The Department of Fish and Game:' For all of your environmental needs, the department of Fish and Game is here! From dealing with pollution to poaching, if an animal looks like it's in danger, it can be a legal problem.Beneath the surface of paperwork and badges lies a secret organization. Known only as the Agency, it works undercover, sponsored by the Fish and Game. The Agency works on cases that no one else will, often going undercover to investigate the unexplained. Abyss Here, the rules are named desperation and despair. The taboo level of the city, the Abyss beckons with its neon lights and painted-on smiles. Rundown, dirty, yet still posessing a sinful charm, it lures unwitting victims into its gaping chasms. Everything and anything can be bought with the right amount of money. Bodies for rent by the hour? Sure. Hiring a thug or two, or ten to beat up someone you dislike? Why not? Lives being sold and purchased? Yes, please. Legal? Illegal? Does it even matter? Those words hold no meaning here. The survival of the fittest is the only rule of this jungle. * Noxious Slaughterhouse: Though long-since abandoned, the tales of the murders that happened here are enough to make any serial killer shiver. Now serving as a nostalgic stomping ground for those hoping to quickly rid themselves of a body or two, it reeks of rotten blood and festering human flesh. Even unused for a long time, the tools still work perfectly, and while it may seem abandoned, you never know who you'll run into here -- maybe they're here to get a few stray limbs off their hands, too -- or they may be looking for a new set of limbs to rip into. *'Debauchery Den:' Welcome, ladies and gentlement, sadists and sociopaths, to the Den. Grab an opium pipe or a hookah -- come settle down, have a delightful conversation with another one of your kind. Plot out gristly deaths for your unwitting victims. Elaborate on your dastardly plans. And why not take a few innocents out, along the way? I'm sure they won't mind being roped into your terrible plans. This is a place where the filthiest specimen gather to chat, share a drink, catch up on old times. Think of your typical bar, and add a few dozen gallons of gore, the stench of smoke and gunpowder everywhere, and the constant talk of who'll be the next to get their throat slit. *'Seedy's motel:' Filthy and disgusting, but hey, at least it's cheap. Your mattress and pillow will probably come steeped in stale sweat, your carpet decorated with unidentified stains, and your room inhabited by companions of the bloodsucking variety -- lice, fleas and roaches dance across the floor everywhere. Lowlife whores and harlots who spend their lives on the street recommend this place, as do those who frequent this cesspit to sink into their night drug-induced stupor or frantic regrouping before the next mugging. The proprietor is tight-lipped about who comes and goes, though -- because a loose tongue in the Abyss is one of the fastest ways to get yourself shot in the head. *''' Fight club/ The Arena:' No rules, no limits, no inhibitions. What previous few laws that linger even in the Abyss are forgotten once you step into the Arena. Watch your step, as losing your life is all too easy here -- and no one would care, as the fight ring, illuminated with blinding floorlights and splattered with blood, is the main attraction here. All it matters is that you step into the ring and ''live, so only the strongest, the shrewdest survive. The doors to this establishment are never closed and if you look closely, you may recognize a few faces as rich Elysium bastards and their bodyguards. Obscene amounts of money exchange hands each night at the betting stands for the arena matches, and many take pleasure in watches people beat each other to death -- after all, there's no shortage of fools desperate for money, fools who would do anything for a few dirty bills -- even lose their head. *'Abandoned warehouse:' Old, broken-down and best of all, empty. Or'' is it?'' Other than a handful of inhabitant of the squeaky rodent type, the warehouse is rarely occupied. A favorite of drug-dealers and kidnappers, many consider the warehouse the perfect place to relax, unwind, maybe catch a quick nap, maybe torture a poor victim -- what to do is a matter of personal tastes. And living here is fine too, of course, though how safe it is -- that's a good question. Keep in mind the type of people who'd frequent this place before you hunker down, or you may find yourself in a rather unfortunate situation. *'Apartments:' Even a place such as this needs somewhere for the inhabitants to live, no? Though keep in mind that spaces are up for grabs on a first-come-first-served basis, and if someone isn't too happy about not getting a spot -- they might just try to wrestle away a home from someone else through less conventional methods. *'The Abyss dump:' And where did you think all the dead bodies go? Graveyards would be just too much work, and so the majority of those found dead in the Abyss are eventually dragged here -- and ravaged soon afterwards. If you're ever in need of a few rotting limbs, a hunk of sopping wet viscera, an internal organ or two, this is the place to go -- everything is up for grabs, as long as you can stand the overwhelming scent of rot. *'Junkyard:' And then there's the less organic dumpster, where you can find your more typical trash -- rusty pins and used syringes, abandoned weapons and broken tools -- all matter of junk, both salvagable and not, can be found here. You can find a few scavengers here at almost all times, searching for a meal or two -- but keep in mind that some of the items thrown out here can be rather toxic. And people wonder why the Abyss' inhabitants lean towards the more mutated side at times. *''' Krank Schmutz Circus:' Lift your head, listen close, and follow the happy, lilting tune that seeps through the air -- there, there it is, the Krank Schmutz Circus. Amidst the forest of colorful circus wagons and glitzy banners is the main circus tent. Though it may seem like nothing more than a typical sideshow at first glance, don't be fooled -- step through the entrance, and you'll be greeted by the greatest of horror shows, one that would pique the interests of even the most hardened sadists. The most popular feature includes the sawing in half of live men and women -- and none of that namby-pamby magic business, of course, you'll get the real deal, with plenty of blood everywhere -- while other regular performances include the lions feasting on the ringmaster, the impalement of the beautiful assistant at the hands of the knife-thrower, the tearing apart of the ballet dancers, limb from limb. The Mad Hatter welcomes you to the show -- but only for the right price, of course. Owner: Belial/Mad Hatter *'Abandoned Lab:' The scent of cheap yet effective drugs lingers, Even after the experiments conducted by a famous underground organization created by certain individuals in Abyss. Everything was made of scrap metal from the junkyard and the dump, however, those certain individuals had even more imaginative interests then being nothing but a useless scavenger. But, one day, somehow those abominations that were created in the metal hallways and gritty operation rooms somehow killed and destroyed the lovely doctors (their corpses still decaying into goop in the lab, thanks to the many acids that were spilled when such a thing happened). Some, even most, had gained a brain or instincts well enough to escape the lab and into the depths of the Abyss. Tools and restraints – no matter how rusty they are – still await claim. Nestled among the rotting carcasses, broken toys and the death traps of the Junkyard, the rusted but impenetrable doors that act as an entrance to this place are always sealed tightly shut. No amount of lock picking, force or hacking can force the front doors to open. Are they keeping something in? Or keeping something out? The outside looks like any other crumbling building found in the Abyss but with a stench that could burn the inside of your skull if one was to inhale the many gases that emit from the abandoned building. There are other ways in though…it’s rumored that sector 7A of the labs is the easiest to gain entry to. *'Sector 7A:' The easiest of the three sectors to gain entry to, 7A contains a large reception room and a number of ruined cheap plush chairs that were scavenged. Three corridors lie ahead of these, past the very long stainless steel scratched desk that used to be the reception table. Broken stairs behind a large steel door (easily opened) to the right, elevator to the left (only that it doesn’t work…most likely due to the large bloody and always wet handprint that lies on the controls, or perhaps the rotting corpse of a large mutant that weights it down) and office cubicles all the way down the middle. The office cubicles contain many elements of still office life behind closed doors, left intact despite the apparent evidence of panic and the smell of fear. Whatever that is, it’s probably drifted from the lower sectors through the air ducts. *' Sector 7B:' The middle sector, one that can be accessed by the stairs, the lift or the air ducts. Being in the air ducts is safer than wandering around in the narrow and pristine white corridors. That smell of fear? It’s exactly the same as the one that was smelt in sector 7A. It’s all around you. It overpowers the other smell. The smell will probably attract a mutant. Or a droid. Whichever one happens to be nearest. Don’t worry, the noises as former man and machine clash should warn you beforehand. The labs here are like the ones in a slaughterhouse, but of course it looks to be mashed together to make something truly bizarre. Basic lab technology, medicine, drugs and used syringes can be claimed from many of the different rooms. Bypass the obstacles here and the last sector waits… *'Sector 7C:' The deepest sector and the most dangerous. There’s no longer the mutants and the droids. There’s the meld of mutant and droid instead, that wander the corridors here. They are few in number luckily but are highly unpredictable. The morgue lies down here, with vacant dead eyes looking out of stasis capsules under blue light. The inhabitants are the half- preserved products of failed hibernation experiments (half eaten and rotting with such grotesqueness); attempts to revive one from artificial sleep induced by chemicals injected into the body at regular times…those times are gone, leaving behind a body that lacks a mind. Other specimens are also present, though mind dead. Half completed machines too. Who knows what amazing feats can be accomplished? A bloody lab coat hangs ready for the willing scientist from a hook beside the door.' ' '''Note:' Sectors 7A, 7B and 7C are part of the Abandoned Lab